Last Resort
by Wicked R
Summary: Sean has agreed to Christian's lipo. I mean why wouldn't he? But it was a bit of a bad timing, wasn't it?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Last Resort  
Disclaimers: Ryan Murphy is the genius.  
Genre: angst

Rating: niptuckish with the normal graphic scenes warning.  
Summary: Sean has agreed to Christian's lipo. I mean why wouldn't he? But it was a bit of a bad timing, wasn't it?

Set: Alternate Monica Wilder.

Pairing: Christian/Blue Mondae.

Note: I don't ask for betas, I'm too impatient to wait for them correcting my "work"...but if you offer I won't say no.

"It's always good to experience the patient's perspective of a lipo as well," Christian said lying on his back in the theater still trying to lighten Sean up about agreeing to do this procedure for him so close to Julia's due date.

"If you wanted to be of some service to us, then you would've left the spot open for a real patient!" Sean continued to express his disapproval beginning infiltration by creating a small stab incision, just enough to accommodate the needle.

"I'm paying am I not? I'm a real patient! And what're you complaining about? Besides, it's a milk run for you! I'm the one having to go through it. I need this so I can keep luring patients in!" "And the leaves off the tree!" Liz said in a facetious tone. "I think it's more like the fruit he wants, Liz," Sean looked at her for a moment before starting pretunneling using a larger cannula and passing it many times without suction into the most superficial layer of the desired area of removal. "Everything for a happy and satisfied customer, so that he can go on bouncy bouncy till we're all age old and debile," Liz continued, making Christian's lips turn into a sardonic smile. "We could make this part of our advertising campaign, showing a before and after video of Christian having sex." She almost added that they could get Kimber to do a professional take on the latter video, but she changed her mind at the last millisecond. She wouldn't normally mind Christian's feelings, if he had any, but this time she decided keeping the patient settled was the better option. "It's just I have standards of how I should look!" Christian felt the need to defend himself again in front of those two. He half wished he never mentioned the issue, went somewhere else to get it done and called in sick. "Standards Christian? What standards? You occasionally mention that, but have we seen any evidence of standards? Even in who you trade snug for stiff?" Liz didn't let the subject go, partially because bickering is what they usually did during surgery, partially because as a conscientious anesthesiologist she was keeping to maintaining verbal contact with the patient during the procedure to help detect possible subtle side effects of the lidocaine/epinephrine dose, symptoms, such as dysarthria, and more severe ones, such as changes in mental status. "The standards that'd impress anybody with their female hormones in the right place and amount!" Christian emphasized. "I suspect you don't even..." He stopped, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Christian?" Liz placed a hand on his, the light bantering tone disappeared from her voice. Her patient was sweating, his skin pale, hands shaking. At the unplayful manner that sounded, Sean looked up, but didn't stop, "what is it?" "Increased heart rate, body temperature decreased to 36.0," Liz nodded towards the monitors. Side effects of the epi, for sure. "Lightheadedness, dizziness, visual disturbances?" She asked Christian. "Gonna be sick..." Christian fretted with his hand reaching out for Liz. "No, you're not!" Sean grunted. An upset stomach during lipo, that's only a possible text book side effect, nobody did actually do that while he was working on them! "Sean, could you hurry up! There can't be that much in there to do!" Liz rolled her eyes, but nevertheless got ready to help Christian to his side just in case. "Do you think Christian would like me not getting it symmetric?" Sean argued as if his partner wasn't there, "I still need to make sure the contour is smooth!" "Juicer works without the smoothie and not the other way round! Heart rate up! Will you move it!" "If you don't stop moving Liz will knock you out!" Sean threatened Christian totally unethically, not even contemplating to consider him a real patient. He had to finish quick, Julia could be giving birth today. Christian shook his head, that was all the answer he could give. He really felt like he was going to be sick, his stomach was churning as much on the inside as it was shaken up by Sean just under the surface. Not good. Probably the worst lipo Sean will ever have to deal with. Or him. Shit. He turned his head, groaning. 

"Christian! Would you just...not in the theater!" He moved the cannulla out the way just in time.

Given he wasn't supposed to eat before the procedure, there was very little his stomach could empty, but the heaves were strong and sour.

"Here," Liz wiped his mouth and squeezed his hand, "are you better now?"

"I don't know," Christian answered shakily and quietly, "but you can continue just now Sean," he lay back and closed his eyes, "sorry about that."

"Christian!" Liz's voice was threatening too, but in a different, more panicked way, "you need to keep talking me me," she almost like pleaded with him.

"Whatever," he kept his eyes shut though, voice slurring.

"Christian talk to me," Liz patted his cheek and looked at monitor, "he's going to drift off any moment Sean!"

Sean looked up at the monitors again and shrugged, "no dangerous parameters. I just need to close up."

"But he passed out Sean!"

tbc


	2. By And By

Chapter 2: By And By

Christian woke up to somebody gently applying absorbable dressings to his stomach. "Sean?" He said with a hoarse voice, struggling to sit up in his initial confusion. He was in one of the recovery rooms.

Liz saved him the effort and pushed him back down very carefully and slowly, "Sean's away. He was barely finished with you when the phone rang and Julia told him she was on her way to the hospital. He's too by now. How you feeling? Sick any?"

"A little," Christian admitted.

"I am going to have to draw some blood," Liz announced and set out to do so, making Christian moan.

"What's wrong Christian?" Liz asked.

Christian was angry Liz played the doctor over him, looked up and saw the concern in her eyes. It confused him a little. Although they bickered a lot, they did care about each other, he knew that, but he did expect Liz to take advantage of the situation and taunt him about being such a bad patient. But it felt good and he gave her a thankful smile. "I wish you'd stop fussin over me and leave me alone!" He said, but didn't mean it and Liz could recognize and interpret any intonation of his voice right away with all the practice she had at it. Better than any partner he ever had actually, business or otherwise.

"You had me worried you cheat. I'll just check your vitals again as well."

"You're still at it?" He would've wanted to protest more, but he was simply too beat to be bothered, so he let her.

"All right. I should probably take you home. You might not need to be instructed on drainage and compression garment use, but you still need an informed caregiver. And the practice's closed anyway. The bad that looked Christian, you won't be back at work for at least a week. Sean, ditto. So what is it now? Can I take a vacation to the Caribbean?"

"I don't see why not," Christian considered the half joke seriously. He didn't feel like he had the strength to do anything just now. Fuck. How could he have such a reaction to anesthetics? Nonetheless, he wasn't sure if moving was a good idea either, he feared he would end up a puddle at her feet, not to mention the other puddles. He grabbed hold of the edge of the bed while turning to his side and kept clinging to it as he carefully put his legs down and straightened up, wincing, trying to make an effort not to cry out, "aahh."

"Are you in pain? You're shaking."

"I can handle it," he pronounced. After all, he wanted this whole thing done.

"I hope you're not getting an infection on top of it," she fumbled with the thermometer in his ear, "that'd top your performance of a lipo perfectly!" She smiled at him, only half annoyingly, but continued before Christian could react to the taunt in his present condition,"could get you some painkillers, but who knows what kinda side effects are you so willing to puke on me now. You know, that was a bit too close for my liking!"

Christian shook his head, "thank you so much for your expertise on the subject of anesthesia Liz, I'll pass." He hated being sick, or even the possibility of it, more than the pain. Otherwise, wasn't he the one ignoring patients' discomfit after lipos? Great, now he should act like he wanted them to act, nice and composed or otherwise he's a hypocrite. But hey, no, this is impossible, why is a simple lipo hurting so much?

Liz finished her examination, watching him. His breathing was normalizing, "you think you can make it out to the car?"

tbc


	3. Localization

Chapter 3: Localization

Christian was leaning on the elevator wall of his apartment building even though the doors have opened about five seconds ago on the right floor.

Liz was starting to get worried the doors would close again, so she stepped in front of the sensors, "need some help?" She asked, looking back at his pained face.

"Not enough to take that patronising behavior from you!" He frowned, stumbling out to follow her. If his condo was a few more doors down the corridor, he was sure he wouldn't have made it, he would've collapsed into her lap with no degree of his dignity remaining. "And since when do you care about my comfort?" He said, irritated by the position he was in.

"You happen to be with me, and I don't like people being in pain in my presence," she explained, opening the front door.

Christian was swaying on wobbly knees so she reached out for his arm a few feet before he reached the bed. He would've not been able to get there by himself, she concluded from his eyes closing. Having settled him and taken his shoes off, she sat down next to him, putting a palm on his arm again, "what am I gonna do with you?"

He flinched away, "I'm fine. Do you mind? I need some rest. Book your holidays or something." He didn't deserve to be taken care of by her, he hasn't really been good to her. He didn't deserve consideration from her and if she treated her well, he might not be able to keep clawing at her all the time. It cramped his style. Annoyingly.

"I need to see if there are other side effects. You're not able to take care of yourself. I'll just sleep on the couch, far away, cause I'm finding it real hard to be patient with current you. What is it you want at all? Do you know?"

"I don't need anybody!" He opposed. After all, he organized his whole life about not being so.

"Well, do you have anybody? Cause I won't leave until I see somebody here watching over you. Knowing you, it'll just have to be me."

Christian pondered for a moment. He did know Kimber's new number, went through a lot of trouble to get it. Or not so much, sleeping with a friend of hers, peeking into her cell when she was asleep, it wasn't so bad. It would've been Kimber he was calling a few months ago, even one month ago, he would've called her. They owed each other a little help in times of need. But not after the scientology thing. And certainly not after their last encounter. "Blue Mondae," he finally said. After all, she was still supposed to be very thankful for her surgery.

Liz raised her eyebrows, "you want a hooker? Now?" She placed her hands on her hips provokingly, "hope she doesn't do hourly rates, cause you're better off with hiring a nurse. Nurse would not be better off right enough with you!"

Christian nevertheless reached into his pocket for his cell and dialed, "Ashley? It's Dr. Christian Troy. Could you come over to my condo?...As soon as possible...Done," he announced to Liz with an as easy as that air.

"But she doesn't know what she's coming here for! She doesn't even know she'll have to spend the whole night here! And do I trust her with serious issues?" Liz rolled her eyes.

"She could give you a few lessons for one!"

"Not into that kinda lessons."

"Doubt she would be either. Male paying customers only! Wait and see. She'll do what I ask, don't worry."

tbc


	4. Chromatic

Chapter 4: Chromatic

"Where's Christian?" Ashley looked around dazed for a moment searching the perimeter from the doorway as Liz let her in, "what's going on? Just out a curiosity, what are you doing here? I knew I was in for it when I asked a guy a big favor and I am so, not always cause sometimes busy with stuff," she stopped as she could see into the bedroom now, "and what's wrong with him?" She eyed Christian's motionless form.

"Liposuction," Liz snorted with laughter.

"I dunno, but he looks horrible, I'll say that. Not much to lust over, if you ask me. But of course I'm not here to lust, I'm doing my job."

"Yeah, well, he'll heal. That's why we called you."

"Huh? You think I can revive him? You should call a doc I suggest, another one I mean. I'm good, not that good."

"I'm one. Doctor. I'll explain everything, but are you able to take care of him tonight?"

"I wasn't supposedta go to work, but my friend will needta go home herself. She's babysitting my boy for me. But if you think there'll be no amorous congress here tonight I'll have to ask her to bring him over. He's probably gonna be asleep most of the time anyway, he's just two years old."

"Do so then. What I need from you is for you to take my phone number here to call me if there's a problem. Check his temperature, see if anything else's wrong, too much puking, let me know," she backed out.

"He looks awful. Are you certain he's gonna be all right? I wasn't in this shape after my surgery, and mine was bigger, so I don't really understand," Ashley asked.

"Yes, he'll be fine," Liz waved dismissively before leaving, "but if not that's why you're here. Was his idea, not mine..."

Ashley approached Christian warily, stopping at the foot of the bed. She didn't exactly feel qualified for the job. She silently studied his features for a moment, as much as she could see of them, his face half buried into his pillow, the color of his white shirt very close to that of his skin. One of her most pleasant customers to be with, for sure, and one of the most profitable ones too. She would just have to gather those motherly qualities of hers, be brave and try to do something useful. She plastered a smile on when she saw his head turning towards her, his eyes open and his gaze settle on her. "Are you in pain?" She reacted to the cloudy blue eyes, frowning. Then characteristically, she didn't wait for the answer, but continued, "and why did you call me? I'm honored and all that, but sorry to say, it's not as if I'm able to change anything about the situation you know," she protested.

"Doesn't matter," he croaked, "just stay. That's all Liz wanted."

" Just rest. I'll stay with you as long as you want. Liz wanted it only, but not you? She said it wasn't her idea." The young woman asked confused.

"Look, it...it hu... hurts to move or breathe deeply, but I wasn't in the mood to give her the satisfaction. Besides, since when is she able to attend to my every need?" He closed his eyes again.

"Every need?" Ashley echoed. Now she was really confused. Was she supposed to climb into his bed or not?

Tbc


	5. Roots

Chapter 5: Root Word

"Why you doing this?" Christian brushed to Ashley, took the bag of groceries out of her hands and set it down on the kitchen worktop at the beginning of the second week she came by every day, fed him, brought him things to read and much more entertainment if he required it, going all the way or not, in the shape of herself.

Her hands free, she briefly felt his cheek for fever, even though she knew he thought is was a very unreliable way for checking for temperature and that the risk of infection was low now. Nevertheless it was how she made sure for herself he was okay day by day.

Just as she expected he pushed her out the way irritated. She was pondering whether it was that he despised her so called naïve behavior or that he didn't like being taken care of cause he didn't know how to reciprocate with other than surgeries.

"Why are you cooking for me?" He crossed his arms across his chest, and again, she wasn't sure if the gesture was in defense or just shutting her out.

"Because my money is a bit short for takeaways and Liz says you shouldn't go out all that much if you still experience drainage? Just light activity is allowed! Does that mean that's strictly me on top? I almost asked her, but then I forgot! Talked to her last night, she said she was on a beach barbecue eating on a deck built over the ocean with the backdrop of a tropical rain forest. She told me she'll bring me some Caribbean recipe books in return, being grateful she doesn't have to come herself to check on you every day. She indicated you could be the worst patient ever. And I told her you were! Docs always make the worst patients. I would know, my grandpa was one."

"I mean what are you doing all this for?" Christian cut her off. He almost asked what her grandfather was exactly, but this was nagging his mind more, "do you want more surgeries in exchange?" Cause if so, well, the terms had to be different. He had been enjoying her taking care of him, very much so, and that was the problem. He didn't feel like he could simply throw her out like he did with the rest of them. She was too attentive to his needs despite all the self centered blabbering. For instance this cooking! Who in his life has ever cooked for him on an ongoing basis! Most didn't even know how to cook! It wasn't a necessary requirement as far as he was concerned, for a woman to cook for a man, there were other, more immediate qualities in them he was used to exploit, but it surprised him how good it felt when the meal was set for him, not whisked up in a restaurant, not as a side mealer at another family's table, but in his own home, for him, and not meant as a simple appetizer before sex. Ashley, although with good looks and aspirations to do better in the men's world was a woman not afraid to be a traditional one.

"I feel I'm still repaying a debt. You gave me a chance to get hired in that shop. It's only part time of course, but it was enough to get myself enrolled into the manageress course I always wanted. And then, how you are a big doc and all, but still..."

"So it's my status in society you're after this time?"

"Christian Troy, I swear, you can be the rudest and most discouraging man on the planet at times, and I've seen the worst! You upset people, drive them off just to get a bit of infantile gratification out of it! If I wasn't such a sucker for losers I wouldn't stay, paying back debt or not! Aren't doctors supposed to be nice?"

"I'm a loser??"

"What do you call people who have to go to dance bars to get some weird quasi satisfaction and don't have anybody to take care of them if they're ill? Want me to stop coming?"

"No..." It was so nice to keep pretending that this was his life, that he had a wife who was there for him. He bent to pull her close.

She immediately rocked her hips against him gently, avoiding sudden movement so she doesn't hurt him, but as if she was riding him already. No predicaments with this girl. Only, how long could this last or how long it took till he got fed up with her?

tbc


	6. In The Vicinity

Chapter 6: In The Vicinity

"Thought I should come by this time," Christian said from behind the big bunch of flowers he had in his hands offering them to Ashley.

"Hi. I take it you've recovered then? Oh, huge ass they are and heavy!" Ashley wondered what the reason behind the occurrence was as she bent over with the weight of the bundle, "the flowers I mean. You must feel better if you can carry these!"

"There's a thank you note inside! I can see you're dressed for the occasion already," he indicated her bathrobe, wet appearance and seemingly nothing under it. "I like showers!"

"Not shower. Bath. The shower isn't working. It was actually broken when we moved here and I never got round to getting it changed."

"That's okay. I like baths too!"

"Aren't you forgetting about something? Not good timing," Ashley waved him off, although letting him into the apartment, "I was just getting my son ready for bed, so you see it's actually completely the opposite situation. There'll be no biological events or even the mention of it in front of Justin!" She reminded him whispering, just so he's set straight about it as if he wasn't too unwell when they met he usually played with the boy and seemed to enjoy it too. "Maybe after...could you watch him till I get dressed?" She motioned to the equally wet haired boy in pajamas on the couch, intently watching some rabbits talking nonsense on the television screen.

As Christian approached to sit down next to him Justin held out his arms to be picked up by him without taking his eyes off the telly.

Ashley smiled and went into the bedroom. She was counting on her son welcoming the visitor, she knew they had warmed up to each other over the last couple of weeks, but was it going to be difficult to send Justin to bed under the circumstances! He'll just be too excited to see Christian and that funnily was the exact thing working against them if they wanted to spend some time alone. She still didn't know him all that well. Was he going to get impatient? She chose to wear a simple tracksuit, Christian didn't need special sexual encouragement with dresses, besides, it was gonna come off anyway sooner or later. When she returned to the living room after picking Justin's bedtime milk bottle up from the kitchen, she had found that Christian already convinced Justin to switch the television off, something that was really hard to do, because for him it meant bedtime was upon him. She laughed, Christian was really in a hurry. She sat down opposite them to listen to the her son's favorite story Christian was reading to him, they were pointing at the suggestive illustrations together.

"...there's something magic  
'bout the beauty in the night  
turn the lamp off  
see the lights

good night planets  
good night shooting star  
i imagine  
how far you are

good night dipper  
good night milky way  
how's it goin'  
in outer space."

Justin looked up at Christian yawning and smiling sleepily. "More!" He demanded nevertheless.

"Do you want more now?" Christian hoisted him up into the air, swinging him high.

"That's enough for today," Ashley interrupted, handing Justin his bottle, "you don't have to entertain my son Christian. And watch out, the more you offer, the more he asks for!" "It's okay. You're real fortunate to have such great kid." "Thank you," Ashley beamed, "I don't even know who really the father is, so I didn't bother hunting them down. You seem like a natural yourself. Nieces or nephews you got?" "I had a son once..." Christian admitted, overwhelmed by the feel of losing him once more momentarily. Wibur's not all that much older than Justin just now... Ashley looked down at Justin in Christian's arms, the bottle was only half emptied, but the little boy had already snuggled in, falling asleep and dropping the teat out his mouth. "What happened to your son?" She asked quietly, not bubbly anymore. Christian shrugged, "not supposed to see him. Custody battle," he didn't go into the ins and outs of it as it was complicated. "I'm sorry it was so hard for you. See, that's one of the reasons I would never wanna find Justin's father. You know, judges are not usually comfortable with my profession..." "Should I take Justin up to his room?" Christian changed the subject. "Not yet," Ashley moved over to the couch, hugged him with sympathy, then found a place for her head on his shoulder, making warmth spread all over his body. "Or are you in a hurry?" She remembered her place in Christian's supposed world, "I'll take him upstairs, thanks, you just get yourself comfy right here," she drew her hand along his thigh firmly, knowingly in anticipation. 

"No! Not yet," Christian repeated. He needed this more. This way he could continue with his little game of pretending he had a family loving him and they were all happy out of a dream. His perfect dream. Why did he feel so drawn to her, to share these moments with her? He couldn't really show off with her, although supposed to be a professional, she wasn't that good in bed and how many things would they have in common even if she agreed to conforming to his expectations? Only that there was something there, something he couldn't explain. He didn't believe in reincarnation, but it felt as if he would've known her from another life, as if he would've met her before, as if all the familiarity would've given him a sense of safety.

She looked up surprised and he kissed her softly, fondly even. Knowing that the illusion of a family was only that, he wanted to hang onto it even longer. Like for the rest of his life. He whispered her name and finally decided to take the boy to his room, but just because of what he had in mind. After so many soulless encounters, this was going to be his first lovemaking with Ashley.

tbc


	7. Must Be The Time Of The Year

Chapter 7: Must Be The Time Of Year

"Don't you think that's enough flowers? You didn't need to bring another bouquet! Do you know I actually hate watching flowers die in my house?" Ashley shook her head slowly as Christian entered her apartment again, just like he did at least once every week for the last couple of months.

"No, I don't know! There's flower food there too to make them last longer! Don't you use them?"

"That's not the point Christian! I told you feng shui says all the persons in the house would suffer if something like this poisons it! You're not listening! I've told you before!"

"Isn't somebody snappy today? Since you're always talking, it's hard to know when it's important to listen and when's not," Christian tried his way out the situation half jokingly. It wasn't exactly how he'd imagined the encounter.

"And you're late. Justin was asking about you and didn't wanna get to sleep till you got here. If you promise something a kid, you do it." It was pretty much the only area of her life Ashley didn't know any compromise.

"Overtime," Christian explained, "and then I thought with the matter I'd like to talk to you about would be better if Justin was already asleep." The last thing he wanted to do is hurt the little boy. Justin was very important to him and he spent ages thinking his decision over. He was part of that fantasy he couldn't get out his mind, that they could be a family. But it had to work, he had to make sure of that, otherwise he'd just be using the innocent child's presence to fix his own problems. He's done some down right evil things in the past, but never wanted to hurt a child, even unintentionally. Enough kids got that treatment without him joining in. And then there was Ashley. One surgery she would need and that would've been to make her less annoyingly talkative. Yet, she was more than the others, she cared about him, maternal attention filling all her actions, her compassionate being. The others were just women, there were some women he loved too, but it didn't work out. Was any point to waiting for the next one he felt he could love? It didn't make any sense and he felt as if he was running out of time. He had to try. Jump right into it. He held out his hand and took hers, a soft look in his eyes, "will you marry me?"

"What??" Ashley was, for once, muted.

He did expect her to be surprised so he asked her again, "will you marry me?"

Ashley's heart skipped a beat. It would've been wonderful, more than she could ever hope for. Justin and her would never have to worry about money anymore, she could stop working at the strip bar for good. But how could this all be possible? "Are you serious? Why? Why do you want me to marry you?" Inside, she begged for it to be true.

"Answer me first!"

"Eeee...I'm lost. I'm would be in the seventh heaven about this, normally, but it's just so sudden and I don't understand your reasons. I never would've thought a doc like you would accept a exotic dancer for a wife. With a kid!"

"You're not gonna be an exotic dancer. Nobody needs to know you were. Unless you want people to start looking funny at you?"

"Of course I don't want that. Especially not for Justin's sake. But...I don't know...you're sometimes so on a hight horse...of course you are, but..."

"You don't wanna marry me."

"It not like that... I...love you so much. I just never imagined us with a future together. I can't believe it can be true! Yes, of course I'll marry you! Why you doing this again?"

"For my own happiness?" Christian mused, telling the truth anyway.

The End.


End file.
